


Man among men

by xAmalie



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Self-Doubt, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-19
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-25 11:33:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9818525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xAmalie/pseuds/xAmalie
Summary: "During my time with Deadlock, I aimed for the top. Blackwatch asked me to join 'em because I'm a hell of a shooter. But here? Surrounded by all these aspiring heroes who wanna change the world? They have the will and the power to do it. I feel like I'm just a man like any other when I'm around all of you. I'm gettin’ old, Han. Maybe it's time for me to hang my gun on the wall."





	

**Author's Note:**

> My very first work in this fandom! I'm so excited! Many years have passed since the last time I wrote something all by myself, I'm used to collaborations now.  
> I'm not an english native speaker, so sorry about any possible mistake. I'm "studying" Jesse's way of speak for future works! ;v;
> 
> Thanks as always to my beloved brazenmoon for the beta!!

Silence. The sound of waves crashing against the cliff is the only one that accompanies the flow of time. The soft breeze is the only pleasure in that muggy night; the moon itself seems to be hiding behind the clouds, as if trying to get away from the summer heat that even in the dark manages to envelop and suffocate everything.

Sitting cross-legged on the roof of one of the control points, McCree takes a drag of his cigarillo and slowly blows out a puff of smoke, motionless beneath the stars that at some point – he doesn't even know how or when – he's started admiring. He combs back his fringe from his forehead, beaded with sweat. It's too hot for him to wear his inseparable hat, too hot for his serape. Hell, it's too hot even for sleeping, wearing anything heavier than a tank top it's unthinkable.

The Gibraltar Watchpoint is asleep behind him. All the lights are off, except for the ones in the research laboratory and some sparse glimmer coming from the dorms' windows. Winston is probably still analysing the data from Talon's attack at the Voskaya Industries. He'd been so focused that he even forgot to eat.

_"These are crucial informations, we have to find out what Talon was interested in. I don't want to blow their horn, but Reaper and Widowmaker are elite assassins, they can't fail so easily. Something happened, and we must find out what," says Winston, pushing up his glasses._

_"I agree" nods Reinhardt._

_Hana, Lucio and Lena sigh. Yes, there's something strange about those events, but, unlike the other two, they can't help but being happy about their enemy's failed mission._

_("Big boy, some luck is exactly what we need at the moment!" Lena had told Reinhardt.)_

_"Who is the other girl?" Genji crosses his arms, motionless behind Winston as he watches what Athena has recovered from the surveillance video. "I’ve never seen her before."_

_"Professional hacker, Sombra," Athena answers before anyone else, "Talon's most recent acquisition. Formerly affiliated with Los Muertos, her past is unknown. She erased her traces from any archive, almost disappearing from history. We don't know what's her goal nor her modus operandi. What we know from the few frames I have recovered from her attack is that she disappeared in the blink of an eye and then she reappeared again minutes later. No one knows what happened during that time frame."_

_"We’re practically chasin' a phantom we know nothin’ about. Could have told me if you just wanted to shoot the breeze by meeting here."_

_"Thank you for your collaboration, Jesse." Angela glares at McCree, pointing in silence at Winston a second later. He's still watching the videos, analysing them via some kind of program he made in order to find some correspondence with the Overwatch's archives, so he doesn't notice when Angela walks away._

McCree takes the cigarillo between his thumb and index finger and sighs, pulling the front of his tank top away from his chest to find some refreshment. His eyes stay fixed on a point in front of him, while his mind wanders between the thoughts of a cold, blissful shower and those of the recently completed mission.

At the thought, a grimace twists his lips.

"I should have known I'd find you here."

If he hadn't known that voice, McCree wouldn't have thought twice before pulling his Peacekeeper from its holster and pointing it straight between the stranger's eyes. The gun was the only thing he would never leave unattended. _Never._ The weight on his hip was as familiar to him as breathing, and it made him feel safe, protected.

Luckily for both of them, that isn't the case.

The other is not a stranger.

Just like he'd recognized the voice, he recognizes the silent, deadly gait too, and the rustling of clothes as soon as the man behind him stops with his arms crossed on his chest.

McCree puts his cigarillo back into his mouth and tilts his head back, grinning at the other's grim look.

"Long time no see, darlin'. Were you lookin' for me?"  
"How many times must I tell you to stop calling me that?"  
"Sorry, sweethear-"  
" _Jesse."_  
"Sorry, Han."

Hanzo stands still to observe the other's smiling face. He almost seems to be studying him, and maybe it's exactly what he's doing, since there's no actual reason for Jesse to be outside at such a late hour, doing absolutely nothing except for smoking.

McCree knows that Hanzo is waiting for some kind of explanation. After months spent by his side, he has grown quite accustomed to his inquisitive glances.

_So? What are you doing here? What's going on? What happened? Time to speak up_.

"Finally some peace here. Hana and Lucio don't seem willing to stop singing and gossiping about who knows what," says Hanzo, breaking the silence. "I never thought the day would come when I'd seen Dr. Ziegler get so angry about something."

McCree smiles as Hanzo sits next to him, crossing his legs and folding his hands in his lap.

"Come on, ain't that too harsh? They're young, our lovely doctor can't be mad at them for somethin' like this."  
"I wouldn't bet against it if I was you. She's already quite upset for what happened the other day in Dorado. Los Muertos nearly blew the entire operation up, Torbj _ö_ rn almost got arrested and who knows how, luckily, you managed to dodge hundreds of bullets."  
"Hundreds minus one." McCree ghosts his fingers over his stomach, above the wound that Angela has already treated. It won't leave long lasting marks if not a scar, something the gunslinger is used to. One more wouldn't make any difference to him.  
"Serves you right, you'll die if you don't stop running in the middle of the action without a plan."  
"You'd miss me."

Hanzo throws a glance at him and slowly shakes his head, ignoring Jesse's protests as soon as he changes topic.

"The fact that Winston isn't listening to her advice doesn't help at all, and if you add to everything that she's sleep deprived because of her research to improve the Caduceus system, I would say that the two screaming kids have been the last straw for her."  
"Believe me, Han. I don't know what you saw," McCree takes a last drag of his cigarillo and throws the butt away, leaning then back with both hands to the floor, "But nothin’ will be more terrifying than what I witnessed years ago. _Nothin’."_

Hanzo raises his eyebrows, but he doesn't look surprised at all.

"What did you do to her?"  
"What!?" Jesse acts offended. "Why would you assume that I was the one at fault?"

No need to answer. From the way Hanzo is looking at him, it's easy to figure out what's going through his head.

_Who can be irritating enough to upset someone as patient as Angela Ziegler?_

"Beneath those sugary smiles of hers, there's much more! Believe me, I've seen it with my own two eyes! The only reason I'm not afraid of anythin' anymore is 'cause there's nothin' more terrible than an angry angel!"  
"Yes, sure."  
"You should be on my side, you know? Is this how you treat the person you _love_?" Jesse licks his lips in an alluring way, but Hanzo doesn't give him the satisfaction of seeing him embarassed by such a childish ploy.  
He merely sighs and shrugs, "I don't know what you're talking about."  
"You son of a gun..."

The silence that falls between the two is completely different this time. It isn't heavy. It's sweet, full of unspoken words, smiles and featherlike touches stolen by the wind, like a fleeting glance or a caress that Hanzo hastens to elude and that brings a childish pout to Jesse's lips. A pout that, on his manly face, manages to pull an amused snort from the archer.  
McCree's fingers run along the other's neck and intertwine through his hair. His breath tickles Hanzo's ear when he murmurs something lewd and lets out a soft laugh, but the Shimada stops him before he can actually kiss him.

"So?" Hanzo asks softly against McCree's lips, brushing them as he speaks.  
"What?" Jesse's fingers run along his back while he trails kisses down his neck. Hanzo tilts his head up to let him do it, but his eyes remain focused in front of him.  
"What's going through your head?" McCree stops what he was doing and pulls back from him, meeting his eyes. "I waited for you, but you were nowhere to be found."  
"Sometimes a man needs to spend a bit of his time alone to enjoy some tranquillity. That's... the same thing you and Genji do. More or less."  
"That's called meditation, and you're the last person in the world I could imagine doing something like that."  
"Ouch, that hurt."  
"Spit it out."

McCree scratches his beard and looks away, at the vast sea in front of him. The faint light of the moon isn't enough to illuminate the expanse of water, calm and silent like the Watchpoint behind them. Entirely opposite to the mess in his head.

He had imagined that Hanzo, not finding him in his room, would have come looking for him. But how could he think about the consequences of his actions when only hours before he hadn't been able to do anything but kick the sheets from his bed, sweaty and vigilant because of the lack of sleep? At that time, the only thing he'd wanted was to find some relief.

"I was thinkin’ about the Dorado mission." He finally says.  
"What about it?"  
"It made me think about somethin' that I believed was gone." Jesse touches his stomach again, lowering his gaze under Hanzo's inquiring one. "Why am I here?"

Hanzo frowns.

"What do you mean?"  
"I have no special skills, I don't have any equipment that gives me some kind of powers, I don't have a spider sense when it comes to enemies and I usually tend to jump into trouble without thinkin', like you said."  
"Again with the spider sense, I shouldn't have agreed to watch all those old movies with you."  
"Sweetheart, seriously."

For once, Hanzo doesn't threaten him for that nickname, intent to listen to what Jesse is trying to say.

"Why am I here? Mission after mission, I get injured. All I can do is shoot. I'm fuckin' good at it, that's for sure, I'm the best of the best when it gets to guns, but... is that enough? During my time with Deadlock, I aimed for the top. Blackwatch asked me to join 'em because I'm a hell of a shooter. But here? Surrounded by all these aspiring heroes who wanna change the world? They have the will and the power to do it. I feel like I'm just a man like any other when I'm around all of you. I'm gettin’ old, Han. Maybe it's time for me to hang my gun on the wall."

Just like before, Hanzo doesn't say anything. He stays silent, leaving once again the sound of waves crashing against the rocks as the only one to accompany the turmoil of thoughts and doubts.

"You know we are the same age, right? If you're old, I am too."  
"Are you screwin' with me? You're like fuckin' Spiderman and Robin Hood mixed together, your aim is bloody crazy!"  
"Say that again and I'll kill you."

McCree gulps, raising his hands in surrender.

"You know what I mean. You're necessary to the team. You have the mind of a leader, you always take the right decision at the right moment. Come on, you have two _dragons_! I'm nowhere near your level."

Hanzo studies him, sighs, and rests his chin on his palm before closing his eyes.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you." Hanzo whispers, and McCree's heart can't help but skip a beat. However, his lips curl into a bitter smile.  
"You would, darlin'. You came here for Genji, not for me. Actually, you hated me at first."  
"At first, yes. I came here for my brother, but I stayed for you."

Jesse stays still, clutching his hands.

"I'm moved, sweetheart, but that doesn't change anything. I'm-"  
"Yes, it does."  
"What the-"  
"It changes everything." Hanzo adds.  
"Can I say-"  
"No, you would say something stupid, as usual."  
"Come o-"  
"Hush."

Jesse's eyes widen in disbelief. He turns towards Hanzo, ready to rebut, but the archer continues without giving him the chance.

"Stop comparing yourself to everyone else. You're Jesse McCree. Not an ordinary hero, not an ordinary man. You were the best within the Deadlock gang and Blackwatch. The organization and your team have changed, but you're still you. Am I wrong?" Hanzo stands up and crosses his arms over his chest, looking straight in front of him despite knowing well that McCree has his eyes focused on him. "I respect your skills. I saved your life as many times as you saved mine. You're my friend and partner, and I would be very disappointed if you will really considered leaving Overwatch. You're not a man like any other. You're _the man among men_... at least, you are for me."

He pauses, before adding, "Well, I can't stop you if you really wish to leave. That's your choice to make, Jesse."

McCree inhales sharply, watching Hanzo's back as he turns away. His chest is burning.

He can't believe how those simple words were all he needed. He'd spent hours overthinking and doubting himself, doubting everything he'd done during the past 38 years of his life.

What he really feared was change. Not his lack of ability, nor his judgement when facing their enemies. Those were all excuses. He had feared the new, fresh breeze: the laughs of the youngest, their ideology, their power, their will to change everything McCree had always fought for.

And then, Hanzo came along.

The man, the archer, the friend, the partner, _his_ new _life._

He was his change.

"Where are you goin'?" Jesse asks, standing up to follow him.  
"What do you care? I thought you were gonna leave the Watchpoint."  
"Never said that. I was talkin’ about ifs and maybes!"

McCree encircles Hanzo shoulders with his arm, but the Shimada pushes him away. He tilts his chin up and snorts, looking at Jesse from head to toe.

"The only certain thing is that you need a shower. Now."

Jesse grins.

His lips are now so close that his mellifluous voice melts on the tip of his tongue in a whisper, as they brush against Hanzo's lobe.

"Wanna join me?"

Hanzo turns towards him, smiling mischievously.

"You wish."  
"Damn right, love."

Jesse had always hated summer. It reminded him of the desert, of the years he'd spent with the Deadlock. It reminded him of his past and all the bad things he had done.

Every year, during summer, the same question returned to his mind.

"Do I belong to this place?"

As he walks along the hallways with Hanzo by his side, he knows that the answer can only be _yes_.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I also have this absurdly angsty longfic in mind. I have to finish my other longfic before starting anything new, I know, but I really really wanted to write something about those two lovely dorks that I ended up writing this. Ops.
> 
> Thanks for reading! ;//;


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